The prevailing design methodology of mobile computing devices (such as smart phones, tablets devices, netbooks, personal data assistants, portable media devices, etc.) emphasizes slimmer profiles while offering ever increasing processing and image rendering capabilities and larger display sizes. As a natural result of minimizing the width or thickness of the underlying mobile computing devices, a similar trend of minimizing the height of the internal modules has developed out of necessity.
A common implementation of a mobile computing device includes a main printed circuit board (PCB) having one or more processing elements. The distinct lack of internal space due to the smaller form factor not only makes heat dissipation more critical, but also presents additional challenges for heat distribution and dispersal. A popular solution for managing heat levels in mobile computing devices is through the use of a series of heat sink and/or liquid cooling structures soldered using a solder paste or thermal interface material or otherwise adhered via an adhesive to a supporting panel positioned near the main PCB.
FIG. 1 depicts a side view of such a device. As depicted in FIG. 1, one or more structures for heat dispersal 120 are adhered to a support panel 110, via a solder or adhesive layer 130 on the surface of the support panel 110. As depicted in FIG. 1, the structures for heat disposal 120 typically protrude or extend beyond the vertical profile of the support structure 110. Unfortunately, conventional implementations such as these add to the thickness of the mobile devices by requiring additional space for the heat sink and/or liquid cooling structures. This clearly results in an obvious conflict with the goal of maintaining (or increasing) slimmer profiles for the mobile devices.